I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended. The same goes for the fantastic show and wonderful characters portrayed in Flashpoint.

Notes: thank you for the continued great reviews here! I am working my way through each one to respond; thanks to all the Guests as well. I can't respond to you as you know!

Long chapter too - thank the muses who could not find a 'natural' break and the two best beta's ever who agreed to that sentiment!

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Chapter 13

But Danny didn't remember that day, the next day or even the day after. The last thing he could remember was driving Grace to school the morning he had been abducted. Photographs of Paul Kelly were met with a blank stare and a totally bewildered stunned look. Danny didn't remember any aspect of his abduction or the threats or his failed attempt at escaping with Ana. Steve gently broached the subject first and then helped Ana explain how and why they seemed to know each other. It was then Robbie's name had been brought up in much more detail. And the mention of Robbie Clancey's name had sent him over a dangerous edge that he kept tamped down until Ana left for the evening.

"He was .. here? In Honolulu?"

"Actually, he still is Danno. He had a bit of an accident at the factory." Danny missed the stray smirk on Ana's face as he tried to digest what Steve was explaining to him. She was perched on the edge of the bed watching his reaction to the news and trying to bury her rising concern that he wasn't putting two and two together yet. Ana smiled reassuringly as Danny's eyes flew to her face and he measured her well-being.

"And you ... you're okay? Nothing happened? You didn't get hurt?" Ana was already shaking her head no and studiously avoiding Steve because they hadn't yet decided when they would let Danny know her case files had been re-opened. In fact joke or not, Danny certainly didn't recall telling Steve that his past with Ana was classified.

"I swear that I'm totally fine and I'm scheduled to return to work in a day or two. We're only worried about you and when you'll be released, Uncle Danny." The doctors were still hemming and hawing at providing even a provisional date to his release. With the variety of injuries he had endured, Danny was slow in recovering his strength and stamina. The shortest of escorted strolls up the corridor had ended in a breathless, tottering near-fall.

Glassy-eyed now from his usual fatigue, it was compounded by their startling confession. Briefly closing his eyes, Danny leaned back in the pillows and Ana took it as her queue to leave for the day but Danny had other ideas.

"Uncle Danny, get some sleep and I'll stop by tomorrow." Grabbing her fingers, he stopped her mid-way from getting up from the bed.

"No." It was said as a terse command. And Ana nervously glanced once towards Steve because right then and there, they were going to be forced into discussing her case files. He realized it too based on his change in expression. "What else do you have to say? I know there's more. I can see it."

Looking from one to the other, Danny waited and chewed slowly through what he'd been told so far before speaking again. He aimed the statement directly at Steve as Ana sat hesitantly down once more on the edge of the bed. "You got her files opened."

She grimaced at the angry expression growing across Danny's face. He was upset for her but becoming very mad with Steve. And while she had her own very stressful moments, Ana had mostly come to terms with the news and took solace in understanding how Danny had tried so very hard to protect her. Carefully, she tried to interrupt the growing tension to stress that everything was alright.

"It's really okay, Uncle Danny. I'm fine. I really am." It was a role reversal for the two of them and it almost rendered Danny speechless as he tried to wrap his head around what was now being confirmed.

"Please, don't be mad." Worried about his health, Ana smiled warmly as she leaned forward to give him a settling hug. "I truly am okay. Stop worrying so much."

"You weren't supposed to ever know. The files were closed for a reason. By an official and formal court order." The angry glare over her shoulder was meant all for Steve and though it was continuing to surprise him, Steve bravely absorbed it.

"Ana, I never wanted you to know. It was an accident .. just a terrible accident. And a blessing that you never could remember it."

Danny's voice was full of a rough emotion and it was then that Steve decided to leave the two alone. It was their history; their relationship. Steve had no immediate answers and it was best to allow them the time they needed to come to terms with what had happened. So he sat quietly in the waiting room for almost thirty minutes until Ana finally came out of the room searching for him.

"I think he's okay. He's very tired now and I wish he hadn't figured it out so soon." Ana was teary-eyed and wiping her nose with a tissue. "I hope he accepts that I'm fine because I really am."

Steve watched her leave quietly before re-entering the room. The head of the bed was raised and Danny's eyes were closed, but based on the tightness in his face he was far from sleeping. Strings had been pulled all the way up to Governor Denning and after Ana left, Danny wasn't interested in the rationale. He was too quiet when Steve pulled the chair up to sit near the bed; much too quiet and Steve felt obligated to speak first to offer an explanation.

"Danno." Steve groaned softly and ran his hands over his face. It was as far as he got as Danny's harsh whisper interrupted him.

"No. There is no reason for what you did. From what you're telling me, Robbie would have killed me anyway. What good did this do? You could have ruined her life. You took an unnecessary chance with all of your god-given, self-righteous clearances and almighty ability to pull every damned string in the book! And now Ana has a stigma she will always carry in the back of her mind."

"Danny, there's a good reason for all of this." Alarmed by Danny's rising temper, Steve dropped his voice in an attempt to bring defuse the situation. His partner was red-faced and getting louder by the second while the heart monitor began to ping in warning. But he stopped cold when Danny's hand came up in the space between them.

"Just. Don't." Danny's eyes were flashing with anger. He rubbed his forehead where a nasty headache was forming near the craniotomy incision and he failed at hiding a grimace caused by the sharp flitting pains.

"You had no right." The last few words were said softly, but with a terrible finality and Steve's stomach clenched at the dismissive tone. " I think you should leave."

"Danny, I really .. I had to." He tried again but Danny was thumbing the head of the bed down. Seconds later, he was turning over so that his back faced the door .. and Steve. The cold gesture left Steve staring dismally at the forlorn, blanket-wrapped shape. He looked over his shoulder to see a nurse entering the room to investigate the loud voices and she made a face at the beeping heart monitor before tapping her watch.

Now forced to leave, Steve rose to his feet and only offered one more apologetic whisper which was not acknowledged.

"I'm sorry, Danny. I had no choice."

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Two days later, Steve canceled the get-together he had been planning for that Saturday to welcome Danny home from the hospital. The doctors had unanimously agreed that he could be discharged prior to the weekend. However, it was more than obvious that the guest of honor wasn't interested in any type of celebration and least of all at Steve's expansive beach house. In fact Chin was tasked with the delicate job of informing Steve that he would be picking Danny up from the hospital when he was released that same day.

"He'll get over it, Steve. When he feels better, he will get over it. This thing with Ana was something that he kept to himself for an incredibly long period of time." But that final decision had hurt him and entering a funk of sorts, Steve didn't quite believe they would wind up in the same place ever again.

"Does he think he's going home to that apartment? Alone?" He asked almost calmly and then sighed miserably when Chin confirmed it. "He's going to be alone and is getting over a serious head injury, Chin."

"I know. But it's his choice and he won't be exactly alone. Kono and I will swing by as often as possible." The explanation wasn't supposed to add fuel to the fire, and yet it did.

"Kono's stocking the place now and making sure he's got everything within easy reach."

Chin shifted uncomfortably in Steve's office and then checked the time; he was due to pick Danny up right before lunch.

"Listen. I can talk to him .. I will talk to him."

"No. Don't bother." Leaning down, Steve pulled the files back out that he had shoved haphazardly into the desk drawer. He tossed his car keys into the drawer in their place and sat back down. "I have work to do."

Chin stood there for a moment before simply turning and walking away. The fall-out with Danny was purely unexpected and the team was in a turmoil. He had chosen to confide solely in Chin and other than that, Danny was only responsive to Ana or Grace. And when he picked up his friend from the hospital and safely transferred him from wheelchair to car, Chin's own brand of anger got the better of him.

He managed to keep himself quiet until he parked at Danny's apartment. He even managed to stay calm as he laid out the pain medications and antibiotics on the counter. Kono had done an excellent job stocking the refrigerator and cabinets too. Danny was sitting quietly at the kitchen table as Chin prepared them both a somewhat elaborate lunch. Every so often he would turn from the counter and frown at the back of Danny's head.

Chin had to bite his tongue until he managed to get some food into his friend, followed by the medications and then hopefully, send him directly to bed. The first few days being home from the hospital would be the most difficult and he needed his rest. But Chin started his soft tirade almost immediately upon plunking his own fork down. There had been very little conversation and Danny was beginning to look drawn and tired from being on his feet too long.

"You can't do this, Danny. It's not right." He couldn't say that he hadn't expected Chin to say absolutely nothing. The tension in the small kitchen could be cut with a knife. But Danny froze and studied his half-empty plate, though he blindly accepted the water and pills that Chin slid over as he began to speak.

"This whole thing is going to tear the two of you apart at the seams; not to mention the team. We're all affected by what happened and frankly, we would all do it again."

Danny refused to answer but hearing no argument was technically a good thing. "Think about our perspective. We lost you; we had nothing to go on. Barely the trace of a clue .. a mere hint and it wasn't enough. So while you worry and blame Steve and all of us for nearly destroying Ana's life ... remember that we almost lost you."

Chin hesitated as he pushed himself back from the table and got to his feet. Danny's shoulders were slumped as he sat silently at his kitchen table toying now with his utensils. "Robbie may have killed you regardless. That's true. No one will dispute that. But Ana also isn't eight years old anymore and if anything, the truth has made her love you more. She's far from destroyed, Danny. She's stronger and better for knowing you."

The continued lack of response was a combined blessing and Chin made a face as Danny's fingers unconsciously traced his side where the bullet wound was healing. He was tired and sore; it was more than time now to follow doctor's orders.

"Come on .. let's get you off your feet." But that, Danny refused with a quick shake of his head.

"I'd like to sit up for awhile." His voice was subdued but resilient. So with that, Chin left with a heavy heart and the hope that he had made a dent in the stubborn man. It had taken him days to voice those feelings and he was positive .. without a shadow of a doubt .. that Ana would agree wholeheartedly.

Danny sat quietly in his kitchen for a very long time. The empty plates of food were long forgotten and a few stray tears were running down his cheeks. Not quite a fool, he only ever had the best intentions and yet Chin was right on all counts.

But then, he didn't know yet what to do so he called Ana. He spoke to her for a long time to make sure that she was okay and then insisted on apologizing for not being to remember most things. Ana calmly and very patiently explained again what had happened that day and did her best to reassure him. But after hanging up, Ana stared at her office phone. Something more was wrong and she abruptly left the office for the remainder of the day.

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Danny was shocked to find Ana standing in his hallway less than fifteen minutes after speaking to her. He frowned defensively when she pointed to his pained expression and much too pale complexion.

"Why are you here?"

"I was right." Ana pushed past him to enter the apartment, only happy to at least see the empty plates on the table. "Who was here? You ate lunch?"

Danny closed the door and slowly followed her back into the kitchen, ignoring her last two questions and going after her first annoying statement. He couldn't remember when she had become so bossy and his frown deepened unhappily.

"What exactly were you right about?"

"I know this is going to sound callous." Ana leaned up against the counter and folded her arms. "But this thing about me finally knowing the truth .. I think it bothers you more than it actually bothers me. This is the last time that I'm going to say it, too. I'm dealing with it Uncle Danny and I'm fine."

"You didn't need to know." He stood angrily now with just the kitchen table separating them. Unable to help himself, Danny's voice rose as he leaned on the back of a chair.

"Robbie would have done what he did .. regardless .. he was playing with fire and he didn't even know the truth. What was in those sealed files didn't serve a purpose by being voiced. What was in those documents did absolutely nothing for Steve ... it did nothing in getting us out. Having those files unsealed served absolutely no purpose."

Ana studied him closely and shook her head. "No."

"No? What?"

"It turns out that Steve was right, too." If it was possible, the simple words clouded his expression even more and Ana firmly set her jaw to dig in for an argument.

"He said that you would protect me at all costs. So you would let me think that you killed my mother? Suppose Steve and your team didn't come. Then what? You would have died and Robbie would have won because I would have believed him, Uncle Danny. And who knows .. maybe I would have even gone with him at that point because I might not have cared anymore."

"There is no way you would have gone with him." Danny was angry and he shook his head to disagree. "You're better than that."

"Do you know that for sure? I would have had nothing left. So who knows what I really might have done." Her voiced was full of sarcasm, but what she said held a spark of truth. Neither of them could guess what a different ending might have created. Leaning up against his counter with her arms crossed, Ana wanted to scream at him. She hated his pale complexion and war-weary defeated expression. He seemed to be constantly tired and hadn't smiled in days. But instead of yelling, her voice fell to an injured whisper.

"I love you more than anything. But can't you see what hiding the truth would have done to us? To me?"

Danny palmed the space between his eyes where his head was beginning to throb. Her next question made him squint painfully through his pending headache. "You aren't mad at them are you? Because honestly, I'm not. Steve did what he needed to do and regardless of what you think, it got us both out of there."

He flinched when she threw her hands up in the air and rocketed off the side of the counter. "Them" was "Steve" and they both knew what her pointed words meant.

"If it's possible, I think I love you even more. But Uncle Danny, there are a lot more people than just me who need you. Especially your daughter, Grace. And if Steve hadn't come, not knowing the truth would have been so much worse. Can't you see that?" It was a fight for her to keep her voice level as she desperately tried to make her point. She felt a small feeling of success when he wavered on his feet and met her worried eyes.

"Wow." He didn't know what to say as he sank down into the closest chair. He had never considered what might have occurred beyond keeping Ana safe from one particular truth that was on an old piece of paper. He might have only saved her from one reality only to find the potential for a much more terrible second. And there was so much more in his life to consider now.

"I don't know." Tired and with his head now pounding, Danny closed his eyes and muttered softly into his hand. "I'm sorry."

Two strong arms circled his shoulder and he felt Ana gently pull him to his feet. "Uncle Danny, you're just tired and not well yet." Ana coaxed him into the bedroom and aimed him towards the bed. It was perfectly made up and she tsked at the exhaustion lining this face.

"You need to trust that I'm fine. And you have to let us take care of you now. Right now we all want you to get better." She felt useful as she lowered the window shades and made sure his cell phone was within reach. He watched her in astonishment as she took over his apartment and smoothly got him comfortable while incessantly talking about her job.

"I have to work this weekend. We're opening a new hotel on MolokaŹ»i and I get to try my hand at preparing the internal press release for our employee base." Ana was excited but also concerned about leaving him alone. She held up her finger warningly and he slammed his mouth shut so that she could continue uninterrupted.

"No. You are going to sleep! What I wanted to say is that I may not have time to call you before I get back on Sunday night." It was her turn to bite her lip and frown at his pensive face. But she could see that her news at least distracted him for a moment and he was proud of her.

"Promise me you'll call Chin, Kono or Steve if you need something?" She wasn't aware of his harsh words to Steve but she had seen the small cloud cross his face when she first mentioned his name. It had been much too obvious. So before leaving, she stressed one very key point. She said it warmly and with another special hug and kiss before locking him safely into his own apartment. She definitely wasn't eight-years old anymore and her maturity left him dumbfounded. Drained and emotionally exhausted, his head was pounding when she left him. Her parting comment was earnest and thoughtful.

"No one ever loved me before I met you. But please don't forget about the other people who need you."

So Danny lay there a long time in his comfortably darkened bedroom. Ana had written down what medicines he had taken and when. A tall glass of water sat within reach next to his cell phone which she had ensured was fully charged. But, it was on vibrate so if he fell asleep he wouldn't be disturbed. He chuffed another bewildered sound at the whirlwind of a young girl that had just effectively taught him a major lesson. And now after Ana's unexpected visit, Danny was left realizing that he needed to come to terms with his own version of the truth.

However, outside in the parking lot, Ana was sitting in her car and determinedly rummaging through her new pocketbook. Gayle had been so upset over what had happened with Robbie, that a new bag was the first thing she had thought of. On her first day back at work, Ana had found the pretty new bag placed on her desk with a large ostentatious yellow bow. It was a sweet, touching gift and Ana had cried with Gayle joining in.

"Here it is." Ana was not quite angry, but she was worried as she lay the coveted business card on her knee. Things were not sitting right with her even though Danny had finally seemed to absorb everything she had so diligently tried to explain. Her new cell phone found its way into her hand and moments later she was pounding out the number into the device.

~ to be continued ~